U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Office of Field Operations, officers at the Raul Hector Castro Port of Entry in Douglas prevented a Mexican national from smuggling nearly 245 pounds of marijuana into the country Wednesday.
CBP officers referred a 26-year-old local Agua Prieta resident for further inspection of her Ford SUV after she attempted to enter the U.S. through the Port of Douglas. During the search, officers discovered more than 200 packages of marijuana concealed throughout the vehicle. The marijuana has an estimated street value of $122,000.
Officers seized the drugs and vehicle. The woman was arrested and charged for narcotics smuggling. She was then turned over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations.
Federal law allows officers to charge individuals by complaint, a method that allows for the filing of charges for criminal activity without inferring guilt. An individual is presumed innocent unless and until competent evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
CBP’s officers at ports of entry screen all people, vehicles and goods entering the U.S. while facilitating the flow of legitimate trade and travel. Their mission involves narcotics interdiction, enforcing immigration and trade laws, and protecting the nation’s food supply and agriculture industry from pests and diseases.
